Myanmar authorities have denied any civilian deaths but confirmed a clash took place after a rights group reported Several people including women and a child have been killed in an attack on Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar.
The authorities on Friday confirmed that clashes had taken place, in which a police officer was presumed to have been killed, but said there had been no information about the killings of women and at least on child, as reported by Thailand-based advocacy group Arakan Project.
Details of the unrest on Friday were unclear, but Rohingya activists said at least two women and a child were stabbed to death in an attack on a village near the border with Bangladesh earlier this week, with possibly several dozen casualties.
The United States and Britain called on the government to investigate and to hold those responsible accountable.
"We have had no information about killings," Deputy Information Minister Ye Htut told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of Southeast Asian foreign ministers in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan.
His comments were echoed by other government officials.
Chris Lewa, director of the Thailand-based advocacy group Arakan Project, which has been documenting abuses against Rohingya for more than a decade, said details about the violence in Du Char Yar Tan village were still emerging, with many conflicting reports.
The death toll could be anywhere from 10 to 60, said Lewa, whose sources range from a village administrator to witnesses.
One described the slashed-up bodies of three acquaintances two women and a 14-year-old boy found in their homes.
Some of the victims also were hit by bullets, the group was told.
Grappling with violence
Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, which runs a nearby clinic, said it was concerned that residents who are in hiding may not be getting the medical care they need.
"MSF confirms that on Wednesday it saw two wounded people suffering from injuries inflicted as a result of violence, one from a gunshot wound and the other exhibiting injuries consistent with a beating," said the group's Myanmar head, Peter-Paul de Groote.
Myanmar, a predominantly Buddhist nation of 60 million people, has been grappling with sectarian violence for nearly two years.
Myanmar's government considers the estimated 800,000 Rohingya in the country to be foreigners while many citizens see them as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and view them with hostility.
The attacks were said to have taken place near the town of Maungdaw
The UN human rights chief has called on Burma to investigate reports that dozens of Rohingya Muslims have been killed in attacks by Buddhists in Rakhine state.
In a statement, Navi Pillay said a "full, prompt and impartial investigation" was needed.
The UN had "credible information" that 48 Rohingya Muslims had been killed in violence in early January.
The government, however, has rejected the claims as groundless.
In a statement sent to the BBC, presidential spokesman Ye Htut said the UN was not listening to its own staff on ground and was damaging its reputation in Rakhine state.
Rakhine state - in the west of Burma, which is also known as Myanmar - has seen several outbreaks of violence targeting the Rohingya Muslims since June 2012.
'Receive justice'
In the statement, the UN said eight Rohingya Muslim men were attacked at Du Char Yar Tan village on 9 January.
On 13 January, a police official was killed in the same village by Rohingya Muslims.
Burma map
This triggered the killings of at least 40 Rohingya men, women and children by local security forces and Rakhine people, the UN statement added.
The government statement only acknowledged the death of the police sergeant.
"I deplore the loss of life ... and call on the authorities to carry out a full, prompt and impartial investigation and ensure that victims and their families receive justice,'' Ms Pillay said.
"By responding to these incidents quickly and decisively, the government has an opportunity to show transparency and accountability, which will strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar.''
The Rohingya people are considered stateless and are rejected by both Burma and neighbouring Bangladesh.
At least 200 people were killed in fierce clashes between Buddhist and Muslim communities in Rakhine state in 2012.
Tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims remain displaced in the wake of that violence, many still living in camps.
Sporadic outbreaks of anti-Muslim violence continued throughout 2013 in other parts of Burma as well.
No other option except qitaal. How can one lead life like this. Death is way better. ALLAH help them all. A small, tiny insignificant country like Burma can do this to it's Muslim subjects. ALLAH help them and make things easy ameen.
I ended up with a face palm today. An academician whom I hold in very high regards shared a 2012 post by Maher Zain thinking it was yesterdays news and I repeated it. It was about Burma.
You shouldn't face palm yourself, but rather salute to yourself. Because the persecution of Muslims in Burma is still going on as we speak but we forgot about it because the media coverage has silenced. May Allah help and support our brothers in Burma.
Jazakallah for the perspective.
We are living in strange times.
(1) Yousuf Khattab has been sentenced for two and half a years prison term for those posts that he retracted. When it comes to Muslims the US does believe in teaching a lesson.
(2) The leftists in India are agitated that a candidate from an idealist party (Common Man Party: Aam Aadmi Party) Shazia Ilmi is fed up with the term communalism. Basically Muslim sare not supposed to think like Muslims.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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